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A DISCOURSE, 



ON THE DEATH OF 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 

Delivered in the 1st Presbyterians Church in Blooniington, Indiana, 

April 19th, 1865, 



BY REV. T. M. HOPKINS 






Bloomington, Ind., April 22, 1865. 
Rev. T. M. Hopkins, Dear Sir : — 
The undersigned, having listened to 
the discourse delivered by you on 
"Wednesday last, beg leave to express 
their high appreciation of its merits, 
and to request a copy for publication. 
Daniel Kirkwood, 
Richard Owen, 
John Orchard, 
William Roddy, 
Joseph Bunger, 
S. M. Wtlie. 

April 24th, 1865. 
Messrs. Kirkwood, Owen, and Others: 
The discourse, a copy of which you 
do me the honor to request for publi- 
cation, though hastily prepared for the 
occasion it subserved, is at your dis- 
posal. 

Very respectfully, yours, 

T. M. Hopkins. 



Discourse- 

Joshua 1 : 2. — "Moses, my servant is dead." 
The divine sagacity and omnis- 
cience, as demonstrated in the gov- 
ernment of the world, command our 



In 

of 



admiration and commendation.'" 
every step of that vast concourse 
important and magnificent events 
which the history of the past reveals 
are that wisdom and knowledge man- 
ifest. The universal habit of the 
Divine Governor of raising up and 
qualifying great men for unusual and 
important exigencies which were to 
arise, is no insignificant evidence of 
wisdom. For always, thus Jar in the 
history of our world, when some rev- 
olution in the opinions and life of a 
nation was about to occur, the indi- 
vidual who was the chosen instrument 
for that work was ready, and after 
his labors have been finished men 
have discovered that he had passed 
through a course of preparatory train- 
ing, in which he was qualified for 
events of which he was entirely igno- 
rant during the period in which he 
was passing through the discipline. 

When consequently it became nec- 
essary to deliver tho people of God 
from that grievous bondage in which 
they were held by a powerful, artful 
and intelligent people, to revolution- 
ize their whole manner of thinking, 
feeling and acting ; to break the 
power of a'stupendous and fascinating 
system of idolatry; to remove the infla« 



.8- 



2 









ence of a corrupt and learned nation ; 
to lead a vast multitude of men, wo- 
men and children through a barren 
country, where they would be exposed 
to hunger, thirst and nakedness ; and 
to assaults from the tribes and na 



will and patient toil, he was ultimate- 
ly, in the midst of unwonted agitation, 
when men's hearts were failing them 
for fear, and visions of horror were 
dancing before the imagination of 
the most calculating and philosophic, 



tionsthrou-h whose countries they called to the Chief Magistracy of our 
passed: to°give the laws which were great nation. 

to govern them when established in Mistrusting, like Israel's great Law - 
the promised land; and to develop giver, his own powers and fully _ap- 
for the first time the great principles | preciating the momentous difficulties 



of a free government, an instrument 
was ready in the person of Moses, 
who "possessed all the endowments 
and qualities which form the consum- 
mate statesman and chief magistrate, 
an intellect of the highest order ; a 
perfect mastery of all the civil wisdom 
of the age ; a penetrating, compre- 
hensive and sagacious judgment ; 
great promptness and energy in ac 
tion ; patriotism which neither 



that encompassed him, he departed 
from his residence, imploring the 
prayers of neighbors and friendsthat 
he might be divinely directed to issue 
the myriads of difficult and important 
matters committed to his hands in a 
manner worthy of his nation and his 
God. In his speech in the city of 
Pittsburgh, on his way to Washing- 
ton, Mr. Lincoln said : "The condi- 
tion of the couttry, tellow-citizens, is 



tion; patriotism wmcn neiiuer iu- uuu vi ..^ w~v MiM ... -- , 

gratitude, ill treatment, nor rebellion an extraordinary one and nils U» 
cWd quench or even cool; a com- mind o every patriot with a oxiety 
manding and persuasive eloquence ; and solicitude. My intention is to 
a heart/love of truth ; an invincible give the subject ^ON^ 
hatred of tyranny and injustice; a which I possibly can before 1 ^ speak 
patient endurance of toil"! a coura- fully and de finitely - » regal rd to £ 
geous contempt of danger, and a mat when I do speak I may be as 
Greatness of soul in which he has near right as possible, 
ne'er been surpassed by the most Notwsthstanding this natural cau- 
admTred heroes P of ancient and mod- tion and hesitation, when the great 
cm times'' Fg ht which emanated from the im- 

And when in onr own age and nation P^ant events surrounding him r* 
by means of the natural workings of vealed thojpa h of doty he delayed 



that selfishness and depravity which 
are indigenous to the human heart, and 
through the necessary developments 
of that system of human bondage 
which was planted in this land co- 
temporaneously with our excellent 
institutions, there were inaugurated 
measures which were destined to cul- 
minate in a most iniquitous and dire- 
ful rebellion ; there was a youth, 
oppressed with poverty, inured to 
hardships and self-denial, cultivating 
in his bare feet the soil of the then 
contemned State of Indiana, wielding 
with energy the woodman's ax and 
maul, who was rising in altitudes 
equal in every way to tho emergen- 
cies which awaited him. Advancing 
Btep by step, by means of an iron 



not to pursue it. For not more won- 
derful could the great sight of the 
burning bush have been to Moses, 
than were the circumstances surround- 
ing Mr. Lincoln, when called in a 
short series of years from the humble 
position of a splitter of rails to the 
helm of State, when she was in a most 
fearful storm. Seeing his duty he 
went forward. Though compelled, at 
length, to fly for his life, because ho 
had espoused the cause of the op- 
pressed, and had endorsed the literal 
interpretation of the great principle 
underlying all of our institutions, that 
"All men aro created equal, and are 
endowed by their Creator with certain 
inalienable rights, such as life, liberty 
and the pursuit of happiness; he 



ultimately reaches the Capital, the 
Executive Mansion, and Presidential 
Chair. 

All aronnd him gathered men 
previously exasperated by imagined 
wrongs. Treason had been fostered 
in the heart, and had espoused the 
cause of human bondage. To it the 
President yielded not, bnt raised an 
entreatirjg voice. And so generous, 
so impassioned and humane are his 
words, that they deserve to be em 
balmed in the memory of a grateful 
and now afflicted people. The last 
words of his first Inaugural are, — 
"In your hands, my dissatisfied coun- 
trymen, and not in mine, is the mo- 
mentous issue of civil war. The 
Government will not assail you. You 
cannot have conflict without being 
yourselves the aggressors. You have 
no oath registered in Heaven to de- 
stroy the Government, while I shall 
have the most solemn one to preserve, 
protect and defend it. We are not 
enemies, but friends. We must not 
be enemies. Though passion may 
strain, it must not break our bonds 
of affection. The mystic cords of 
memory, stretching from every pat- 
riot grave to every loving heart and 
hearthstone all over this broad land, 
will yet swell the chorus of Union, 
when again touched, as surely they 
will be, by the better angels of our 
nature." One is reminded of the 
entreaties of Moses, as he stood before 
that haughty and oppressive monarch, 
asking in the name of justice, hu- 
manity, and God, that he should let 
Israel go three days in the wilderness, 
and not make it necessary for the 
Almighty to afflict until the first born 
of every house shall be destroyed. 

But the entreaties in the one case 
were as ineffectual as in the other. 
Pharaoh hardened his heart, and 
traitors became more exasperated and 
determined, and precipitated the 
whole land into a most merciless civil 
war, The plagues raged with fearful 
rapidity and desperation, and our 
worthy President, guided a3 we be- 
lieve by Divine Wisdom, adopted no 



cherished and fixed plan of operations, 
but observing closely the leadings of 
Providence, like a philosopher and a 
Christian, yielded all his convictions 
to the irresistible logic of events. 
Having adopted such a policy it was 
not long until God seemed to say to 
him, "Bring my people out of bon- 
dage." For no Christian can doubt 
that there were thousands of God"s 
own elect, redeemed, praying peo- 
ple among the blacks of the South, 
and none doubt that thousands of. 
them were rigorously oppressed; and 
that their prayers ascended to the 
Throne of the Most High, coming not 
out of feigned lips, but from broken 
and contrite hearts. Considering in 
connection with this, the truth taught 
in the Scriptures, and everywhere 
established in history, that God does 
espouse the cause of the poor and 
downtrodden, — "He resisteth the 
proud and giveth grace to the hum- 
ble," — identifies himself with tho 
most lowly of his followers, saying, 
"Inasmuch as ye did it unto one 
of the least of these my brethren, yo 
did it unto me," — we are prepared to 
understand why God by his provi- 
dence should command our Chief 
Magistrate to "say to Pharaoh, let 
my people go." Many loud calls 
came from the events God caused to 
transpire, which seemed to have no 
other significancy, — the dreadful and 
most appalling defeat at Manassas 
Junction ; the terrible slaughter at 
Edwards' Ferry; the multiplied re- 
verses in almost all departments of 
the army, and truly astonishing vital- 
ity of the rebellion, led all to suppose 
at the end of two years, that some- 
thing more must be done. Yet many 
were not ready for emancipation. 

Our excellent President, looking as 
with an eagle's eye far into the future, 
and learning all he could from sur- 
rounding events, as Commander-in- 
Chief of the Army and Navy, issued a 
proclamation informing all the insur- 
gent States that if they did not lay 
down their arms in ninety days he 
would liberato and arm their slaves. 



Many 



Of the success of this measure he was 
not confident. In a Message subse- 
quently issued he said, — "The policy 
of emancipation and of employment 
of black soldiers gave to the future a 
new aspect, about which hopes, fears 
and doubts contended in uncertain 
conflict." But events were drifting 
in that direction, and we presume 
that very few indeed now question 
the wisdom of that measure. Moses 
eaid the people shall go free, — and 
large numbers of them went out load- 
ed with their masters' possessions. 

While in this sad and perilous 
journey through which wo have been 
led tor the past four years, the bitter 
murmuriugs, and the almost ceaseless 
clamorings that have filled Mr. Lin- 
coln's ears, and the cheerfulness and 
patience with which it had all been 
borne, reminds one of the murmur- 
ings in the wilderness, and of the 
meekness of the "meekest man."- 
Foreign powers frowned 
Baalims there were who cursed 
far as they dare, and when they could 
not curse would predict all possible 
evil. While in the camp at home, 
there were jealousies and disputes. 
Intimations are given of the resigna- 
tion of the'members of the Cabinet, 
of the incompetency and disagree- 
ment of array commanders. Who 
has been our Moses, to throw himself 
in the breach and stay the plague? 
To whom have we looked under God 
ns our ouly hope, but to our beloved 
President? Who has, with great wis- 
dom and respect for the feelings of 
ail aspirants for power, selected and 
retained competent advisers and mil- 
itary commanders, which was so nec- 
essary to insuie success in the sup- 
pression of the rebellion, but Mr. 
Lincoln? It is he who has led us 
through the Red Sea of blood, who 
has brought us by the bitter waters, 
and is giving us glimpses of the land 
ot rest and peace. But he, after hav- 
ing taken a view of the rest which 
tho'prepent aspect ot affairs promises, 
is called in the providence ot God, to 
die by the hand of an assassin, "his 



eye not being dim nor big natural 
force abated." 

And now, a nation is bathed in 
tears. The fountains which have 
long been dry in the eyes of thousands 
whose courage has prevented their 
weeping over ordinary distress, have 
been suddenly broken up by the sad 
intelligence, which has startled them 
as much as if the Almighty had thun- 
dered from the heavens, "Moses, my 
servant, is dead." 

A servant of the Lord was our 
President, in that he executed the will 
of God in carrying out his purpose 
with regard to the subjugation ot 
treason, and the liberation of the 
blacks. Also was he, as we suppose, 
a willing captive in the embrace of 
grace. In the language of another, 
"He was a conspicuously righteous 
man in all his relations to his fellow 
men. Whilst the President of trea- 
son was basely using his power to 
hoard gold in Europe, women, chil- 
dren and brave prisoners starving 
meanwhile, our President, in times of 
great corruption and temptatiou, as 
Honest Abraham Lincoln, lived and 
died. He was a man of rare impar- 
tiality. He was at least as willing to 
confer honor, power, emolument, on 
loyal men of the other party as on men 
of his own. No poor soldier, no poor 
soldier's wife, ever approached him 
with just cause in vain. He was al- 
together void of a spirit of revenge ; 
clear-sighted, firm and wise, He some- 
how lacked the capacity^to avenge the 
nation's wrongs and insults. He 
thought it unchristian to avenge bru- 
tal massacres of colored troops, and 
barbarous starvation of patriotic sol- 
diers. Ho commuted the sentences 
of spies, deserters and rancorous trai- 
tors, his traducers and enemies. — 
Treason has murdered her best friend. 

Put was ho clothed with the right- 
eousness of Christ? We regret that 
ho perished in a Theatre ; it is a 
place a Christian should not go, — 
where ho should not die. We regret 
that he did not profess his love for 
Jcsus'Christ and his trust in him, till 



late in life. We have heard that he 
read the Bible one hour every morn 
ing, and being recently asked if he 
loved the Saviour, it is 6aid he was 
moved to tears, and said — "When I 
was first inaugurated, I did not love 
him ; when God took my son I was 
greatly impressed, but still I did not 
love him ; but when I stood upon the 
battle field of Gettysburg I gave my 
heart to Christ, and I can now say I 
love the Saviour." We may hope 
that having finished the work of un- 
paralleled toil, trial, difficulty, anxie 
ty and weariness even to distress, God 
for Christ's sake took him home to 
eternal rest." And now all that we 
can say, is to bid him farewell until the 
judgment. "Thou Abraham Lincoln ! 
true friend of the people, of the poor, 
of the slave, — so faithful, true, just, 
kind, forgiving, — man greatly belov- 
ed, farewell! farewell, till God grants 
us a meeting in eternity !" 

But why this dreadful calamity? 
Why was Satan permitted to instigate 
so foul a crime? Why this bloody 
picture on the book of time? Why 
this oppresive and almost insup 
portable sadness of heart? It be- 
comes all to speak with caution when 
attempting to divine the purpose of 
God in all such transactions, but some 
intimations as to the probable object 
had in view by the wise Governor of 
the Universe in bringing our worthy 
President to so sad and untimely an 
end, may bo profitable and consola- 
tory. It was hard for the Israelites 
to understand why Moses, in the vig- 
or of health and manhood, should be 
called from them to die, and to be 
buried by the Lord, without their 
knowing the place of his interment. — 
It is hard tor us to have our President 
taken from us by the hand of violence 
withont receiving a single parting 
word from those lips which had 60 
often spoken peace to our troubled 
.spirits. But God cannot tolerate idols. 
"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy 
God, and him only shalt thou serve," 
is the first and greatest command- 



ment. This nation was on the point 
of worshiping Mr. Lincoln. Mo6es 
was, after his successful guidance of 
the people through the wilderness, 
likely to come into possession of too 
much power ; and Abraham Lincoln 
wa9 approaching in rapid strides a 
dizzy height in the esteem and affec- 
tion of this great people. Ask these 
heavy hearts why this sadness? and 
they will reply, It is not that we have 
not confidence in those who are left. 
It is not because we tremble for the 
ark, nor is it because he was assassin- 
ated, though that is to be deprecated 
and mourned over; but the reason we 
are so sad is, we loved our President 
and were loth to 6pare him. He was 
out of the way of political aspirants, 
[laving been twice elected to the Chief 
Magistracy of the nation, none would 
look upon him as being likely to be- 
come their competitor. To the blacks 
he appeared as their Moses indeed 
and in truth. To the soldiers and 
their families he was a friend, a loving 
father; and to the nation he seemed 
as their great deliverer, their tempo- 
ral saviour. For there are but few 
who are not willing to concede that 
we are moro indebted to Abraham 
Lincoln than to any other man for the 
perpetuity of our Government. To 
rebels themselves, he must appearbe- 
uignant and mercifnl. When they 
assailed him, they found him a tower 
of strength ; but when he had con- 
quered them, none were found so 
generous and forgiving as he. While 
t'oroign natious were beginning to 
stand aghast, and to confess that the 
half had not been told them. They 
had vainly attempted to ridicule him 
because he had been poor, and had 
not the accomplishments of a dancing 
master; envy and malice led others 
to predict, hope and pray for his fail- 
ure ; but they were all beginning to 
feel that they had a foe worthy of 
their steel, and were opening their 
eyes in mute astonishment at the 
result of his measures. As to mere 
accomplishments, they were discover- 



6 



ing that Mr. Lincoln was in the high- 
est aud best sense a gentleman.* 

Had Abraham Lincoln lived six 
or twelve months longer, there would 
have been paid to him a tribute of re 
gard and affection which was never be 
fore contributed to any earthly prince. 
All nations would have brought gifts, 
for he had conquered the world, 
for none now would dare assail him. 
They feared to attack him in more 
adverse times, though their encour- 
agement of the rebellion, and their 
menacing frowns indicated that a fa- 
vorable opportunity for a successful 
assault would have been by many 
hailed with joy ; much less would 
they now meditate an assault upon 
him. Such power is dangerous, and 
the honor burdensome, 

"But the idol is shattered, 
The earth star fled." 

We say it as a 6on would say it while 
6tandiog by the bier of a revered, 
idolized father. We knew not how 
much we loved him until he was 
gone. This fact alone shows that 
there was danger of his occupying too 
great a space in our hearts. What 
precious remains were ever bedewed 
with so many tears as those which are 
this day to be removed from our 
national capital? When before in the 



* Since preparing this discourse I 
find the following in the New York 

Tribune : 

"No one who approached him, 
whether as minister or messenger, felt 
impelled to stoop or to strut in his 
presence. He was never constrained 
nor uneasy in whatever presence, and 
he imposed no constraint or ceremony 
on others. Every one found him easy 
ot access, yet no one felt encouraged 
to take undue liberties. Mr. Everett, 
one of the best bred, most refined and 
fastidious of our countrymen, after 
observing among the Cabinet and For- 
eign Ministers, the Governors, Sena- 
tors, Generals, and other notables, 
collected at Gettysburg celebration, 
pronounced him the peer in deport 
ment ot any ouo present. 1 ' 



history of the world, did so numerous 
and so intelligent a people weep at 
the same hour for their ruler, — never, 
never ! It may perhaps be well for 
Mr. Lincoln to die thus in the zenith 
of his glory. 

But let us remember the words of 
the Lord to Joshua, "Moses, my ser- 
vant, is dead, now therefore, arise, go 
over this Jordan, thou and all this 
people." Joshua was not in all 
points of view equal to Moses, but he 
was perhaps better qualified for the 
particular exigency then existing. — 
So now, may not the present Admin- 
istration be more likely to bring the 
rebellion to a wise and righteous 
termination, than our beloved Presi- 
dent would have done? The nation is 
evidently approaching a period when 
the law must raise its majestic front, 
and say "thus far but no farther." 
Its majesty cannot be continuously 
insulteJ. The civil magistrate is 
charged with the sword, and he must 
not bear it in vain. We counsel not 
the promiscuous shedding of blood, 
but by the righteous laws of God and 
man, armed traitors, who are endeav- 
oring to take the life of the nation, 
deserve nothing less than death. The 
decree has gone forth, without inti- 
mations of any repeal, "Whoso shed- 
dith man's blood, by man shall his 
blood be shed." Our "tender mercies 
are cruel," when we pardon and 
liberate rancorous traitors aud mur- 
derers, to prey upon peaceful citizens 
who have not forfeited their lives. 
We doubt if this nation had been 
plunged into such deep gloom had 
some arch rebel who has shed barrels 
of loyal blood been, by due course of 
righteous law, a few days previously, 
hung as high as Haman, in the streets 
ot Washington. 

We speak not in a vindictive spirit, 
but with a view to promote the great 
boon of peace. If a man, in the most 
stealthy and dastardly manner, takes 
the life of our President, because tho 
measures and policy ot that President 
do not suit his tastes, who is safe in 
this laud? Tho powers that be, that 



are ordained of God, should make it 
bo dreadful to the wretch who dares 
commit the overt act of treason or 
murder, that he who has rebellion or 
assassination in his heart will crush it 
without delay. How else can society 
exist? To such work our generous, 
forgiving President was greatly disin- 
clined. May it not, therefore, be well 
that the Wise Disposer of all events 
should remove him and give the 
sword to others, that justice may be 
done. 

But let us not forget in all our 
gloom, that 



"There is a Divinity that shapes our ends ;" 

and that a Being ot Infinite Wisdom 
and Goodness has said that "Our 
light affliction, which is but for a 
moment, worketh for us a far more 
exceeding and eternal weight of glo- 
ry." May it be so with this afflict, 
ed nation. 

And let all in this dark hour unite 
their voice, with the voice of tha 
great multitude, and the voice of 
many waters, and the voice of mighty 
thunderings, saying, " Allelniah, for 
the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!" 






'''-*-'" 



